1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tissue closure device and more specifically to a device and method for applying a wound closure member with flowable adhesive to close an opening in tissue during surgical procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many medical procedures require closure of subcutaneous openings in tissues. In an effort to minimize patient trauma, many types of surgeries are typically performed through as small of an incision as possible. This arrangement may cause closure of internal wounds within the patient to be problematic and difficult. If such a subcutaneous wound cannot be effectively and confidently closed, the clinician must enlarge the incision or make a new incision in order to gain sufficient access to the tissue to enable closure of the wound through traditional open-surgery techniques such as suturing or clips.
In an effort to minimize patient trauma, many types of surgeries are typically performed through as small of an incision as possible. Endoscopic surgery typically uses a cannula or trocar inserted through a relatively small incision through the patient's outer tissue layers to provide access to the patient's internal organs. Insertion and removal of tools through the trocar is difficult, time-consuming and inconvenient for the clinician. Thus, a limitation of endoscopic surgery is that it is relatively difficult to use multiple tools to effect wound closure.
Internal tissue wounds present unique problems that must be addressed when attempting to close such wounds. For example, bleeding within the field around the wound can make the wound difficult to locate and can also be life-threatening to the patient. Also, since access to an internal wound is typically achieved through a trocar or the like, there are limits to the number of instruments that can be used simultaneously during surgery. As a result, surgical instruments may be called upon to perform tasks without the aid of other instruments. However, consistent and reliable closure of a wound using only a single instrument is difficult to achieve.